Raised panel door and method of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A raised panel door has a center panel surrounded by four inner border members which in turn are surrounded by four outer border members. Said panel and border members have a plastic face sheet and a relatively thick backer of inexpensive material. The said center panel is rabbeted around its periphery, and the four inner border members taper in thickness from the latter outwardly, the thicker edge portions extending into the center panel rabbets and the thinner edge portions extending into rabbets formed in the outer border members. A flat support is attached to the assembled center panel and said border members, forming a unitary whole.

ilmte @tates att 1191 [111 3,731,444 Tobin 1 1 May 8, 1973 54] RAISED PANEL DOOR AND METHOD 1,662,151 3/1928 Loetscher ..52/6l3 OF MANUFACTURE Primary Examiner.lohn E. Murtagh Inventor. Robert 0. Tobin, Marshfield, Mass. Attorney Harold E. Cole [73] Assignee: Frank W. Woodman, Marshfield,

Mass. ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Mar. 24 1972 A raised panel door has a center panel surrounded by four inner border members which in turn are sur- PP 237,750 rounded by four outer border members. Said panel and border members have a plastic face sheet and a [52] USCL 52/316 52/455 52/613 relatively thick backer of inexpensive material. The 144/309 156/63 said center panel is rabbeted around its periphery, and [51] Int CL Eo6b 3/70 the four inner border members taper in thickness from [58] Field 455 613 the latter outwardly, the thicker edge portions extend- 52/615 i iT i R ing into the center panel rabbets and the thinner edge 16i/39 portions extending into rabbets formed in the outer border members. A flat support is attached to the as- [56] References Cited sembled center panel and said border members, forming a unitary whole. UNITED TATES P T S ATEN s 11 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 288,712 11/1883 Koskul ..52/316 877,415 1/1908 Ely 52/623 Patent ed May 8, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 7| FIG 1 FIG 5 Patented May 8, 1973 3,731,444

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o, It mrnon or RAIS PANEL 1,

The principal object of my invention is to eliminate the usual milling or cutting away a whole piece of wood to thereby leave a raised center panel that is surrounded by a sunken portion. This is especially desirable when the panel has a face of a hard, tough plastic such as that known under the name Formica, making it impractical to make a raised center panel in the usual way.

Another object is to make the panel door of pieces of material that are simple and inexpensive to cut to the desired shape and which can be assembled by merely moving the pieces into contact with each other and then uniting them to a flat supporting sheet, so the plastic sheets cover the entire exposed faces of the door.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts, and a method of manufacture, such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the particular construction disclosed by the drawings nor to that described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a completed door.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan, exploded view showing the parts forming my panel door ready for assembly.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a center panel used in my assembly; but in inverted position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of said center panel.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing said center panel and four inner border members in assembled position; but inverted.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing four outer border members added to the assembly shown in said FIG. 6, also inverted.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view showing a flat support covering, and ready to unite, said center panel, inner and outer border members, all of which are inverted, said panel and border members being indicated by dash lines.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 11-11 ofFIG. 10.

As illustrated, my panel door has a center panel 10 that has a backer 14 of relatively thick and inexpensive and relatively soft material such as coreboard, or a material made of pressed wood or sawdust, and a binder, which gives depth to my door. It is covered, on one side at least, with a relatively thin face sheet of a hard, durable and preferably decorative plastic F-l, such as that sold under the name Formica, being attached as by cement. Said plastic sheet F-l may be I/ l 6 inch thick, for instance, and said backer M may be 5/16 inch thick. Whenever a member is covered by said thin sheet of said plastic I identify it in each instance by the letter F with a numeral. Said center panel Ill has a rabbet or cut-out l5 made in said backer 14 completely around it, so that said plastic sheet F-l overhangs said backer l4.

Surrounding said center panel Ill are four inner border members, the two extending vertically, as shown, being called inner stiles 16 that have a relatively thick backer of coreboard ll6a similar to said backer 14 that is covered by a said plastic face sheet F -2. The two that extend crosswise are called inner rails 17 that also have a relatively thick backer of said coreboard 17a, that is covered by a said plastic face sheet F-3. The ends of these stiles and rails extend diagonally in the usual way as at 18 and the four members adjoin each other to define a rectangle. Said stiles and rails taper in thickness from said center panel 10 laterally outward, the taper occurring in the coreboard as at 16a and 17a only. The inner or thicker edge extends into said rabbet 15 so that said plastic sheet F-ll overhangs said four inner boarder members 36 and 17.

Surrounding said inner members 16 and 17 are four outer border members which I refer to as two outer stiles 24 and two outer rails 28. Said outer stiles have a relatively thick backer 25 of said coreboard that is covered by a said plastic face sheet F4. Also a narrow side, face strip of plastic sheet F-5 is preferably used and it extends angularly downward from said sheet F -4, for only part of the thickness of said backer 25. There is a rabbet or cut-out 26 made in said backer 25 so that said side sheet F-5 overhangs the cut portion of said backer 25.

Said outer rails 28 have a backer 29, similar to backer 25, that is also covered by a said plastic face sheet F-6 and a narrow side face strip of plastic sheet F 7 extends angularly downward from said sheet F-6. There is a rabbet 30 made in said backer 29 similar to rabbet 26. Said side sheets F-5 and F-7 may be 4/16 inch wide, and said rabbets 26 and 39 may be 2/16 inch wide, for instance. The thinner portions of said inner border members may be 2/l6 inch thick where they enter said rabbets 26 and 30, hence the under surfaces of said outer border members and said thinner portions present a flat even surface.

The outer or end portions of said inner stiles 16 and inner rails 17, which are relatively thin, extend into said rabbets 26 and 30 respectively, so that said plastic sheets F-S and F-7 overhang portions of said inner stiles and inner rails respectively. 7

Said center panel 19, said inner members 16 and 17, and said outer members 24 and 28 are inverted when assembled, as described above, and are unitarily supported by a flat support 32 which may be made of coreboard. This is done by resting the faces of said coreboard backers 14, 16a, 17a, 25 and 29 thereon, and cementing or otherwise attaching these nine members to said support 32. Said plastic sheets F-l, F-2, F- 3, F4 and F-5 are at the bottom at this point, and by turning over said support 32 they will be in view with only said plastic sheets showing. A rabbet 34 is shown cut in said support 32 in said FIGS. 1 and 2, to provide for a hinge, if desired.

Said inner and outer border members are thicker overall than said center panel overall. For instance, said backers of these members may be 6/16 inch compared to the thickness of said panel backer 14 which may be 5/16 inch as stated above. Said center panel and outer border members are preferably of the same thickness, hence when my door panel is completely assembled the under face surfaces of all parts present an even flat surface which said support 32 rests flatly upon. My method of assembling a panel door of parts such as those above described, commences by laying on a flat table or board said center panel upside down, that is, with said backer 14 at the top. Said tapered inner border members 16 and 17 are also laid upside down the thicker side extremities being inserted into said rabbets 15, with said plastic sheets F-2 and F-3 resting on the under side of said plastic sheet F-l.

Said outer border members 24 and 28 are then laid, upside down, next to said inner border members 16 and 17, bringing into contact the thinner side extremities of said members 16 and 17 with said outer border members 24 and 28 by having said thinner side extremities enter said rabbets 26 and 30 thereby resting angularly extending plastic sheets F-6 and E7 on the latter thinner side extremities.

A flat support 32 is then laid on the above assembly and said center panel 10, said inner border members 16 and 17, and said outer border members 24 and 28 are then joined together as by an adhesive, or by driving nails through said support 32 and partly into said panel and border members. The panel so formed is turned right side up so only the plastic sheets are visible as shown on said FIG. 1.

What I claim is:

l. A panel door comprising a center panel having a rabett at its periphery, four inner border members next to the sides of said center panel and tapering in thickness outwardly therefrom, said panel thicker portion entering said rabbet, and four outer border members next to said inner border members each having a rabbet at one side, said panel thinner portion entering said latter rabbets, and a flat support attached to the face surfaces of inner and outer border members.

2. A panel door as of claim 1, said panel and border members each having a top surface, face sheet of relatively hard and thin material, and each having a backer of relatively soft and thick material, said rabbets being located solely in said panel and outer border member backers whereby said face sheets overhang said latter backers.

3. A panel door as of claim 2 said face sheets being of plastic and said backers being of a woody material.

4. A panel door as of claim 2, said face sheets being substantially 1/16 inch thick, said outer border member backers being substantially 6/16 inch thick and said inner border member backers being substantially 5/16 inch thick.

S. A panel door as of claim 2, said outer border members each having a side surface face sheet extending angularly from said top surface face sheet to a point where said rabbets in said outer border members commence, said center panel thinner portions extending directly under said side face sheets and being of such overall thickness that said outer backer and panel under surfaces are in horizontal alignment and thereby present a flat, even surface.

6. A panel door as of claim 2, said center panel bein of rectangular shape, said inner and outer border mem bers being of oblong shape.

7. A panel door as of clarm 5, sard inner border member backers being thinner at their maximum thickness than said panel and outer border member backers, said panel and outer border member backers being of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

8. A panel door as of claim 7, said inner border members being thinner at their maximum thickness than said panel and outer border members, said panel and outer border member backers being of uniform thickness throughout.

9. A method of assembling a panel door commencing with a center panel having a rabbet at the outside edge, placing inner border members which taper in thickness in contact with the periphery of said center panel with the thicker side extremities of said inner border members extending into said center panel rabbet, then placing outer border members, which have each a rabbet at their inner side extremities, in contact with said inner border members with the thinner side extremities of the latter extending into the said rabbets of the said outer border members, and then placing a flat support on the assembled center panel, inner border members and outer border members, and attaching said flat support to them to thereby form a unitary panel.

10. A method of assembling a panel door as of claim 9, said center panel, said inner border and outer border memberseach having a plastic face sheet and a backer thicker than said face sheet, said rabbets in said center panel and said outer border members being formed solely in their respective said backers, placing the plastic face sheets of said inner border members on the undersurface of said center panel plastic face sheet, and the plastic faces of said thinner side extremities of said inner border members into said outer border member rabbets.

11. A method of assembling a panel door as of claim I 10, said outer border members each having an angularly extending plastic face sheet at one side surface thereof, said outer border member rabbets extending 

1. A panel door comprising a center panel having a rabett at its periphery, four inner border members next to the sides of said center panel and tapering in thickness outwardly therefrom, said panel thicker portion entering said rabbet, and four outer border members next to said inner border members each having a rabbet at one side, said panel thinner portion entering said latter rabbets, and a flat support attached to the face surfaces of inner and outer border members.
 2. A panel door as of claim 1, said panel and border members each having a top surface, face sheet of relatively hard and thin material, and each having a backer of relatively soft and thick material, said rabbets being located solely in said panel and outer border member backers whereby said face sheets overhang said latter backers.
 3. A panel door as of claim 2 said face sheets being of plastic and said backers being of a woody material.
 4. A panel door as of claim 2, said face sheets being substantially 1/16 inch thick, said outer border member backers being substantially 6/16 inch thick and said inner border member backers being substantially 5/16 inch thick.
 5. A panel door as of claim 2, said outer border members each having a side surface face sheet extending angularly from said top surface face sheet to a point where said rabbets in said outer border members commence, said center panel thinner portions extending directly under said side face sheets and being of such overall thickness that said outer backer and panel under surfaces are in horizontal alignment and thereby present a flat, even surface.
 6. A panel door as of claim 2, said center panel being of rectangular shape, said inner and outer border members being of oblong shape.
 7. A panel door as of claim 5, said inner border member backers being thinner at their maximum thickness than said panel and outer border member backers, said panel and outer border member backers being of substantially uniform thickness throughout.
 8. A panel door as of claim 7, said inner border members being thinner at their maximum thickness than said panel and outer border members, said panel and outer border member backers being of uniform thickness throughout.
 9. A method of assembling a panel door commencing with a center panel having a rabbet at the outside edge, placing inner border members which taper in thickness in contact with the periphery of said center panel with the thicker side extremities of said inner border members extending into said center panel rabbet, then placing outer border members, which have each a rabbet at their inner side extremities, in contact with said inner border members with the thinner side extremities of the latter extending into the said rabbets of the said outer bordEr members, and then placing a flat support on the assembled center panel, inner border members and outer border members, and attaching said flat support to them to thereby form a unitary panel.
 10. A method of assembling a panel door as of claim 9, said center panel, said inner border and outer border members each having a plastic face sheet and a backer thicker than said face sheet, said rabbets in said center panel and said outer border members being formed solely in their respective said backers, placing the plastic face sheets of said inner border members on the undersurface of said center panel plastic face sheet, and the plastic faces of said thinner side extremities of said inner border members into said outer border member rabbets.
 11. A method of assembling a panel door as of claim 10, said outer border members each having an angularly extending plastic face sheet at one side surface thereof, said outer border member rabbets extending beyond said angular face sheets, and placing the ends of said outer border angular face sheets on the face sheets of said inner border members. 